‘A miracle for any normal person’ – Rafael Nadal’s injury defiance ‘spectacular’, says doctor

Rafael Nadal’s doctor, Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, admits his star patient’s ability to defy injury “would be a miracle for any normal person”.

Nadal has twice defied a chronic foot problem in 2022 to win the Australian Open and then the French Open, while he also suffered a stress fracture in his rib prior to Roland-Garros.

As he pursued a record-extending 14th title in Paris, whispers spread that he was set to retire after the tournament. Instead, after winning his 22nd Grand Slam, he vowed to “keep fighting” and laid out his ambitions to play at Wimbledon and the US Open.

He underwent treatment on the affected nerves in his left foot on Tuesday, with the Spaniard’s medical team hoping he can return to the court as early as this weekend.

Nadal admitted to Eurosport in Melbourne that he had doubts “every single day” about whether he could play again as he battled persistent injury.

But his latest major title in the French capital on Sunday saw him move two clear of long-term rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in the all-time race – leaving him in pole position to retire with the most Slams in the men’s game.

“It seems to me a spectacular thing, it would be a miracle for any normal person, but he is able to do it because he really is a different person,” continued Ruiz-Cotorro.

“It’s no longer that they numb your foot so you don’t have pain and suddenly you can compete, it’s accepting that challenge and then isolating yourself from all that feeling to later give you the opportunity to play several games with those conditions, also against very high level rivals.

“Coming in addition to the rib problem that had prevented him from having the proper preparation and rhythm of matches that he wanted. These things can only be done by Rafa.”

Wimbledon starts on June 27.